The Reader

Rating: 9.0/10
Genre: Drama
Overall value for money and time: 9.0/10

A provocative movie about a young boy’s love affair with an older woman and how a simple secret kept them apart. The tagline reads “How far would you go to protect a secret?” Do not underestimate this simple yet thought provoking statement. This is one extremist movie that shared with me a priceless lesson. What I didn’t like about this movie was the ending. It left many questions in my head, even after 24hours after watching it. Initially, I thought to myself that I would not give this movie a rating higher than “7.7” due to the ending. But on second, third, and subsequent thoughts, it gets better each time I reflected on the storyline. This movie feels like good wine, it takes an acquired taste to fully appreciate it and as time progresses, it gets better and better. Who knows, it’s only a day from viewing the movie that my rating got up by a 1.3 rating, the days to come might see this movie having an almost full rating.

The first part of the movie felt close to “soft porn”, where there was lots of sex and nudity on both sides of the protagonists. It was necessary however, because only by adding those scenes, is one able to truly feel for the protagonists later in the movie. The pace took a turn when there was a plot twist in the middle of the movie – the introduction of the “secret”. That was when morality was challenged, all the way to the ending credits. It does have me wonder to myself why Kate Winslet won the Best actress award during the Golden Globe Awards 2009. Was it another case of Wei Tang (lust and caution), where baring it all was a big contribution seen as a “huge sacrifice therefore earning respect” kinda action, or was Kate Winslet’s performance genuinely outstanding. Great movies like “Titanic”, “Little Children”, “The Holiday” and now “The Reader” all had Kate Winslet starring in them… which brings me to one conclusion. Once’s a coincidence, twice, maybe luck, three times onwards… that’s just professionalism. Kate Winslet wasn’t lucky to be in those great movies, those movies were great because Kate Winslet was in it. I think this movie is far more superior to “Slumdog Millionaire”. But in movie history and understanding, there’s no way movies with such provocative contents will ever be seen winning an Oscar. That’s what makes this movie better than the rest. It’s like an unsung hero, residing in the hearts of its viewers and bringing with them a lesson they can learn through life. Now is the time for me to bring in the spoilers. If you’re not convinced by now that this movie is worth more than your money and time, then you should just carry on reading so you won’t have to “waste” your time watching it. The spoilers are included for debate, as well as justifying my high ratings for the movie.

The start of the movie showed an adolescent boy who was physically attracted to an older woman (Hanna Schmitz – Kate Winslet), probably because he grew up in an environment where he was in control most of the time. But when he was with her, he felt a change in roles, he felt submissive and cared for like a little child. Being a young boy (Michael Berg), he was curious about sex and didn’t understand the attraction he had for Hanna. They had an intimate relationship and Hanna enjoyed listening to Michael read to her. Throughout their secretive relationship, Michael had encounters with younger girls who he felt attracted to, but ultimately went back to Hanna’s house to spend time with her. That showed the internal struggle he had within himself, but ultimately his affection for Hanna overcame his lust. Hanna, being a bus conductor, was promoted to an office job one day but left without a sound. Eight years later, Michael attended a court hearing with his classmates and professor about Nazi war crimes. Among the female defendants were none other than Hanna. A book was written by two of the survivors, mother and daughter, of a church massacre that the female prison guards were the ones who cold bloodedly killed the trapped Jews. There was mention on the Judge’s side that no one escaped the fire. There was a lot of emphasis throughout the movie that “No one” escaped the fire, which leaves a hanging feeling about whether the story of the prison guards were true. Hanna was one of the prison guards who had to take the blame of masterminding the entire massacre. This was so when the other prison guards accused her of issuing the confirmation letter. When asked to perform a handwriting analysis, Hanna rejected and admitted that she was the mastermind. However, through the affair 8 years ago, it suddenly dawned to Michael that Hanna was illiterate. He was put in a dilemma, knowing that announcing this fact will save Hanna from life imprisonment but had to keep it a secret since Hanna herself would rather admit a crime she didn’t commit than to let known that she was illiterate. In the end, the secret was not known and Hanna was sentenced to life imprisonment. Despaired, Michael made love to a law classmate of his whom would become his future wife. There are two points of view on this matter.

Most would think of Hanna as a cold bloody prison guard who went strictly by the books, but for me, I still think she did it because there were no other choices for her. It was tough for her to find a job that didn’t compromise her secret. Hanna wasn’t exactly a normal person. She had a fetish for being read to (probably because she was illiterate) and that was probably what made Michael hesitant about disclosing her secret to save her – because he was angry at her for being used. Years later, Michael couldn’t keep Hanna off his mind so he recorded every book he could find in his study room and send them to Hanna. He was probably trying to repent for his mistake and because he realized years later that he truly loved Hanna. However, it was unexpected when letters from her were mailed back to him. He was at a lost and didn’t reply. 20 years later when she could finally be released, he was referred to as the only person to discharge her from prison. When they finally met, Michael asked her, “What did you learn?” Hanna replied, “I learnt to read.” Disgusted by her unrepentant behavior, he acted coldly towards her. His cold behavior could be attributed to him being ashamed of her behavior as well as the affair which took place years ago. However, what I felt that it was perfectly normal for her to feel this way. She went all out to keep this secret, when she was offered a promotion to work in an office, she was so afraid that others would find out that she ran away and took on another job as a prison guard. She had lived her entire life keeping that secret and there were many times she could have tried to learn to read and write, but she didn’t. That was until Michael send tapes to her. The act of learning to read and write, and from the content of the letters about asking Michael to write back was proof enough that he meant a lot to her. So when she said, “I learnt to read.” It meant more than just the words, or the knowledge. It meant love for him, it meant she had finally “escaped” from the prison inside of her. When she committed suicide and left a tin of her entire savings with Michael to have him bring them to the daughter of the survivors, that was the most ironic scene in the movie. The daughter was very well-off, living in a big house, having a good life and when Michael told her about Hanna’s secret, the daughter was unremorseful about putting an innocent lady behind bars. She lived most of her life of riches, whereas Hanna lived a miserable life keeping a secret she was ashamed of and having been innocently put behind bars for doing her job. That’s when morality came into view.

What distinguishes right from wrong? What truly differentiates a good person from a bad person? The way I look at it, the daughter was the truly bad person. She took the money out of the tin and returned it to Michael. When Michael told his plans of setting up a illiteracy foundation with the cash, she couldn’t care less about it. Michael showed many signs of weaknesses in the movie, seeking forgiveness on the behalf of Hanna before the daughter who never forgave Hanna, and finally told his love affair to her daughter, probably because he felt that it was time to share his secret with someone else. Up to the very end, Michael didn't understand Hanna's love for him, still blaming her for the actions which explained his act of asking for forgiveness. He was still a "little" boy who only saw love superficially. The daughter, judges and everyone else showed how narrow minded their definition of justice was. The daughter was so blinded by hatred and the "act of evil" itself that she failed to see the true reasons behind the actions. Hanna showed how strong true love really was. The "fetish" that she had might also be because she missed Michael... In a way, being read too by young female prisoners before sending them to their death was because they would remind her of Michael. All the different characters displayed different points of view and each displayed their own weaknesses. I think that is what sets this movie apart from most blockbuster movies, the true nature of humanity.

Slumdog Millionaire

Rating: 8.0/10
Genre: Drama
Overall value for money and time: 8.4/10

I could understand why slumdog millionaire won the golden globe awards for 2009. The movie had an even blend of suspense, romance, comedy, drama, and a spice of “Bollywoodiness” inside of it. There were many scenes of Mumbai that opened my eyes to the poverty of the country and how it affected its citizens. It was more than just a typical Bollywood movie. The movie almost felt like a mini documentary which spanned around a young boy who allegedly cheated in the famous game show “Who wants to be a millionaire.” Though in Singapore’s context where the famous game show lost its appeal in the hearts of Singaporeans a long time ago, this movie will rekindle the feeling of nostalgia and express the true meaning of “hope” in a country of despair. I couldn’t agree more with the critiques in the poster, “The feel-good movie of the decade”. I love how the story of the boy unfolded with each question he answered in the talk show. It was as if his whole life flashed past him in such a short period of time. I was able to empathize with him and could feel how strongly he felt for the girl… At the start of the movie, there was a question which left me puzzled initially… Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How did he do it? A. He cheated. B. He’s lucky. C. He’s a genius. D. It is written. What did “it is written” actually mean? Well, to find out the answer to that question, you’ll have to watch the movie till the very end. There were a couple of surprising twists in the movie which enhanced the overall quality of the storyline. *Spoilers ahead* There were also good cinematography takes in the movie (towards the end with the reverse rolling where it wasn’t overly done) and beautiful music themes in the movie. I would strongly recommend this movie to anyone out there who hasn’t caught a Bollywood movie before… because in my opinion, it’s the cream of its crop.

Bride Wars

Rating: 5.4/10
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Overall value for money and time: 6..0/10

My ratings for this movie will probably offend many female viewers, but I find it hard to pretend it was more than just an average movie when it was utterly disappointing for me. This is one of those movies that will appeal more to the female audience, probably because it touches on topics such as love, and marriage... For someone who isn't even a fan of such movies in the 1st place, I have to admit I'm harsh on this critique. The humour was too cheesy for me, unintelligent, and I had to force myself to laugh at most scenes. The plot was predictable, when two life long best friends became enemies because they had their wedding days planned on the same day by mistake. Their wedding day meant so much to them that they were all out to make that important day more miserable for the other party.... and in the end realised how foolish they were, reunited and were best friends again. Personally, I think movies with predictable story lines should either have outstanding acting on the actors' and actresses' part or that the lines should be of substance (be it humour or just normal conversations). This movie only had a little of the first point. A movie not worth your time watching. My curiosity confirmed my judgement of movies, that is when I think the movie blows on first sight, it probably would. The scenarios by which the best friends created chaos for each other was unrealistic and far-fetched. They portrayed an aura of massive childishness... as if there were two 5 year olds stuck in the bodies of twenty-year-old ladies. However, there was a line in the movie which barely saved this movie .... and it was the conversation exchanged between Anne Hathway and her husband-to-be towards the end of the movie. But the movie is not worth watching to find out... that's why I will save you the agony of sitting through this slapstick comedy. She said to him that he was in love with the "past" her, and even though both of them felt like it was no longer meant to be, they still held on cause of their "commitments". I think this is an interesting point which applies in many long term relationships. It shouldn't take a marriage for you to finally come in terms with that reality. When you feel like it won't work out, then it's time to let go.

Passengers

Rating: 6.8/10

Genre: Thriller

Overall value for money and time: 6.4/10

The only thing that saved this movie from being a disappointment was the ending. It had a poor build up and lots of loose ends when the credits rolled. This movie was not able to captivate the audience or engage them into the role of the protagonist. However, the plot was there. The idea was there, just bad execution. There were 2 particular characters in the movie who were way too weird without accounting for, Anne Hathaway's neighbour and her male "patient". The storyline isn't novel, there have been similar movies made, that of which I will mention only at the end of this review to keep the suspense alive (since that's the only selling factor of this movie). The movie is about a counselor trying to help the survivors of a plane crash when she finds herself being in the middle of a "cover-up". Though it seems that I've been slamming the movie from the start, the unreasonably high rating is mainly due to my personal expectation of what separates a film from being just a mediocre movie - plot. Therefore, I believe most of you will not like this movie since it lacks almost everything else. To sum it up, *spoilers ahead* this movie is like a cheap production which lacks the elegance of a mix of "Mulholland Drive" and "The Others", + a little hint of "Sixth Sense" in it.

Seven Pounds

Rating: 8.6/10

Genre: Drama

Overall value for money and time: 8.8/10

A heart wrenching movie about a man who goes around and tries to help seven deserving people. With reference to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, the title actually refers to the debtor in the story repaying his debts by a pound of his flesh. The trailer does not disclose much about the plot of the movie because that's basically the main attraction to the movie. However, in the midst of the movie, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the plot was driving at. Still, there are elements of the movie that remains a mystery until the point of disclosure and the storyline might even be viewed as being somewhat unorthodox and unethical. I'm not too fond of the movie Pursuit of Happyness so when the promo was up about this movie being directed by its director, it didn't appeal much to me. I thought Seven Pounds would be another dialogue driven, soul searching and slow paced movie. In a way, this movie had all the stereotyped expectations, but what makes it superior over Pursuit of Happyness is the 'beauty' it portrayed. To further explain my opinion, those of you who have not caught it should stop reading here as spoilers are up ahead. What seven pounds has is a strong plot with a convincing cast to portray the internal struggles of humans. After viewing this movie, you will come to appreciate the miracles every part of our body is able to create. We take for granted the human body and how 'perfect' our body is. But not everyone has that gift. Some of us have weak hearts, weak lungs, weak kidneys, weak bone marrows etc. And those people have their lives turned topsy turvy because of their illnesses. We learn to appreciate life more after viewing this thought provoking film. A chicken soup for the soul production which will change the way you view life forever. I love the way everything adds up in the end (though the cause of the accident and the success of the heart transplant patient was a little exaggerated), and in my personal opinion, the chances of you not liking this movie is only a mere 3-5%. How a life of 1 man can change the lives of 7 others is an extreme act of magnanimity which modern Man has lost through the evolution of humanity. I understand how critiques cannot lift this movie too high up because it might give the wrong impression to others, but we can view the movie in a slightly more positive manner. Though we might not intentionally commit suicide just to donate our organs to those who need it, there are many ways we can make a difference, a good difference in the lives of others. This is the time to start thinking and doing something for others apart from ourselves, because at the end of the day (or the end of the movie), you will feel a sense of fulfillment and happyness that's simply... priceless. Easily one of the top movies of the year.

Bedtime Stories

Rating: 7.4/10

Genre: Comedy

Overall value for money and time: 7.4/10

A lighthearted family comedy about a hotel's handyman, Skeeter (Adam Sandler), who's big boss made a promise to Skeeter's dad to allow him to run the hotel one day. However, the big boss did not fulfill his promise. There was a change of events when Skeeter realises the bedtime stories he tells to his niece and nephew came true in real life. If you're wondering how ridiculous it would be for creatures like dragons and mermaids to be popping out of nowhere in the movie, then you're in for a pleasant surprise. Everything mentioned in the bedtime stories would appear realistically in real life, so don't worry about absurdity. Courteney Cox stars as Adam Sandler's sister, a refreshing face to be seen in the movies, and the little girl who stars as his niece is extremely adorable. Guy Pearce acts as the comedy villian, a role miles apart from his usual solemn movies. The humor is great, made complete with a talented comedy cast, while the plot of the movie has an equilibrium of fantasy and reality. This film makes a good movie for audiences of all ages, genders, and races.

Ip Man

Rating: 8.0/10

Genre: Action

Overall value for money and time: 8.4/10

A well-off martial arts master is forced to live a life of poverty when the Japanese invaded China back in the olden days. Based on the life story of Ip Man, the celebrated Kung Fu master of Bruce Lee (as the poster advertises), the movie shows his struggles for a better life for his family, and the battle of dignity for his countrymen. Many have compared this movie with Huo Yuan Jia, starring Jet Li as the martial arts master, and have claimed Ip Man to be superior. However, I felt the former had a better ending than Ip Man. Ip Man is literally invincible in this movie, and though the action sequences are highly applaudable, you would always know the outcome of any battles. The last duel between Ip Man and the Japanese general ended a little too quickly. There wasn't much to gasp about. Instead, one of the fighting scenes in the midst of the movie was the highlight of the movie. To sum it up, this movie is one of the best martial arts movie in the history of chinese movie making, though has what felt like Twilight Zone's backdrop settings and fairly redundant characters in the movie, this is a movie certainly not to be missed!